AN: Adopted remake of Apprentice to the Ascended/ Learning to Ascend by Scion of Magick and Creation! My take on how the story should have gone. Hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own anything that is mentioned in here. Not Harry Potter, Not Highschool DxD, not anything. There will be a lot of crossovers. Some text from the Goblet of Fire was borrowed for this fic.
Chapter one: Trials of the summoner.
A room. Devoid of heat. Light. Well, devoid of everything really. There was nothing in this room save for a few items, and the cool stone tiles that littered the floor. Not even the insects made their home here, for it was too empty of anything life had brought for it to be an interesting dwelling place for any creature.
Then, for the first time in years, the room saw light. The door, the only means to enter within, was opened, and by none other than a famed individual. As quickly as the door had opened however, it was soon closed.
Opening up a small satchel, the individual whom had graced this cold space with life for the first time in decades, brought out tools and chalk. Too any onlookers, they would notice how this individual seemed to be stressed, seemed to be tired and yet determined. However, looking deeper, one could spot the scars, and not just the physical ones.
This individual, carried a great burden. What it was, only the most trusted of ally, one whom was given a title far beyond 'friend' would earn. So, now as this individual stood, shuffling through his bag in search of the necessary items for a certain ritual.
It didn't take to long, maybe a few minutes tops, before the individual was ready to start. You wouldn't think it by looking at him, that he was ready to summon forth some higher being. Something powerful, not part of the norm as the saying goes.
So with a precision you would be hard pressed to find in anyone really, he began his work. First, was the pentagram drawing. Created with chalk, the circle had to be absolutely perfect for it to form. Next was the star. Five pointed, representing the human body if drawn correctly. He made sure to make the middle star pointing upwards.
Upon the star's completion, he then began to add the necessary sigils for what he wanted. These were the sigils for power, help, guide and desire. Each sigil was drawn slowly, so as to not screw up their design.
Now, for the harder part. Taking out his wand, the individual gave it a wave and willed for the chalk to vanish, replaced by the same image except it was etched into the stone, leaving enough room for any liquid to run through them.
This lead into the final step. Placing a candle at the tip of each end of the star, the individual then produced a ceremonial dagger and sat down in the lotus position in the center of the circle. Using the blade to slit both of his palms, he let his blood flow freely into the crevices left in place of where the chalk had once been. Casting a minor healing spell once enough blood had fallen, he then placed his hands on his legs, facing upwards.
Chanting in a dead language, he began his prayer and call, starting the ritual to attract a being more powerful than his current self. This went on for five minutes, as the magick of the ritual began scouring the realms in search of a being not only matching the needs of the summoner, but one that would be willing to answer the call.
Finally, the ritual was complete, and the call answered. The room began to vibrate rather softly at first, until it picked up in power leaving the whole room shaking. Power flew freely around, and off to the sides, awing the individual who had started the ritual. Finally, cackles of lightning appeared, and seemed to converge on a singular spot.
Where all of the power met, a black orb of magick appeared, and from its depths, an item appeared. Dropping down onto the floor, the ritual and vibrations abruptly ceased, and the summoner was left drained.
Gasping, he looked around wildly, confused as he found that the item was the only thing to make it through. Anger began to form in his chest, at failing in his attempt to summon someone to help him. So, the next logical step was to sigh. It wasn't like this wasn't the first time that he had tried to get help.
Looking down at the odd item that had been sent his way, he found the urge to look at it. And so, compelled, he did. The thing, or rather things, were an odd little device and instruction booklet.
He looked through the booklet first.
On the first page, there was a message written in print, amazing him at the finesse involved with it. Looking around, he decided to read it aloud seeing as no one was anywhere near him.
Dear Summoner
In order to gather my assistance in whatever trivial matters that concern you, you must first prove to me that you are worth the time
Now then, seeing as I am bored and you have my interest already, let's see what you can do
The device that should have arrived with this instruction booklet, will grant you access to all the magickal knowledge of your world
I know, seems far fetched right? Well don't worry by young friend, There's a catch to it all
Having that much power clearly isn't fair, so to make things more interesting, you have a limit of two subjects you can look for.
Pretty neat right?
And the best part, Upon searching up your two requests, you will be given all the knowledge instantly, and the device will then explode.
Now, then, what must you prove?
Simple, finish these three tasks that have been set out for you, and upon the extra credit ending, you will have proven whether or not your worth it
Have fun, and enjoy the device.
P.S The instruction booklet gives a whole host of ideas on what to look for and how to use the device to get it
Upon finishing the letter, the individual was unsure as to how he felt about the device. All that he could feel, was familiarity with it, as it resembled that muggle cellphone that his cousin possessed.
Deciding that it might as well be used, the teen placed it within his robes, and gathered his things. Cleaning up the room with a few spells, he found the need to leave no trace of his presence here despite it being a rarely used room within the magnificent castle for which it was located in.
Leaving upon having cleaned it to his satisfaction, he discretely made his way up the from the bowels of the castle to the tower he called home. It had been well after curfew by the time he returned, as he had to remain unseen if he wished to have a peaceful night.
Getting inside of the tower, he quickly made his way to his dorm room and went to bed. In the morning, he thought to himself, he would give the odd device a go.
Harry. Harry... Harry!
These words were spoken in increasing volume by none other than one such Harry's best friend, Hermione Granger. Rolling out of bed, a tired and groggy Harry looked up at his friend and asked, "What is it Hermione?"
She looked at him as if he was insane, "We're going to be late for class if you don't get up!" she exclaimed.
Harry's mind took a minute to process this, well, really, more like a second. However, ever since first year he had lowered his skill level and intelligence in appearance for personal reasons.
"Right, let me get dressed," Harry answered.
Hermione nodded, leaving the dorm so that her friend could change.
A few moments later, Harry was down in the common room with his bag of books and supplies, ready to head to his classes. The two left through the portrait and headed for the first class of the day.
First was History of magick, something which Harry was actually quite glad for as it would allow him to look through the instruction booklet. Opening the next page, as he had already read the introductory part, he began to read.
The Subjects of Magick
Made it this far already? Eager aren't we? Well then, let's get started.
There are various subjects and sub genres of Magick that are available to you. Below lies the subject, it's description, and it's cost. All Magick has a price, remember that.
Potions: The art of mixing herbs and ingredients with water, alcohol or another liquid substance to form a powerful magickal substance. The art can grant the wearer the ability to creating healing salves, enhancement potions, poisons and the like. No cost comes from learning this art.
Alchemy: The Art of combining science and Magick to achieve real world results. Follows the laws of nature and uses it to bring forth the desires of the individual. Complete knowledge can grant access to immortality, enhanced physical prowess, better understanding of the world, magickal constructs, and etc. Cost: Not abiding by the laws of Alchemy always cause a back lash that can range from maiming to outright killing the individual.
Elemental Magick: Gain powers over one of the for elements best representing your soul, and learn to use it to create truly magnificent displays of power. Cost: Depending on element received, you will gain a weakness over it's counter and a strength from the element it dominates.
Sigils of power: The power of higher beings written down in sigils that must be drawn from one of three mediums, blood, Liquid metal or chalk. Nothing else is as effective for bringing about the power that these mediums use. Cost: None to the user other than patience. The effects are best used for traps and long term goals, not useful during combat.
Ninjitsu/Illusion magick: The art of using illusions to mask the presence of the user, and trick oppenents into being lead by the nose for your own purpose. Depending on the power level of the user in this art, one can even give a fake smell to the illusion, leaving the others to truly believe what they are seeing/feeling. Cost: Self Discipline required and takes lots of magickal energy to do.
Evocation/ Conjuration: The ability to summon/create other beings at will. Depending on the skill level of the user, one can summon high level beings to come down and assist them in any task they deem necessary to complete. Cost: The User will be forced into a packed with another being should they summon one rather than create a construct.
Necromancy: The art of communing with, raising, and using the dead for your own needs. The tasks that can be done by the dead are numerous, however each undead holds a little influence over the Necromancer. Cost: Slowly being consumed by the tendencies of the undead. Can lead to the necromancer becoming an undead, or dying or becoming an infernal due to how little humanity they will keep by performing the art.
Animagus/Shape shifting: The ability to gain either one animal form or the power to become any animal/being within power limit of the user. Cost: Will gain the traits of whatever being is transformed into.
Mind Magick: The key form of magick that is used by Sorcerers. It involves protecting the mind, telepathy, telekentic abilities and bending the world to the whims of the user. Cost: Requires severe discipline to perform and can heavily affect the outlook on life that the user once had.
Almighty Magick: In layman's terms, the powers and magick of the gods. The power can grant the user power far beyond the normal scope. Cost: Requires a God's body or powerful spiritual essence to be able to use. Lack of either will result in the complete destruction of the mortal body as well as any soul anchors that may be in place.
Soul Magick: The ability to use the power of one's soul to grant themselves complete control over themselves and their ability to interact with the material plane. Allows access to the akashic records and the ability to astral project. Cost: The user must face every aspect of themselves, both good and bad, to gain complete access to this form of magick.
Mage magick: The soul aspect of magick designated to you. Unique to the individual, there is a wide variety of personalized magick that the user can learn. However, they are limited to only that magick and none other.
Magus Magick: The final subject, the ability to use spirits and the energy of the world to perform miracles and nature abiding magick.
With this all said and done, the last thing to do is pay heed to the following instructions.
By choosing the subjects you wish to learn, you will be in an excruciating amount of pain as the knowledge is forced into your head. Next, the knowledge will not grant you the immediate power, but the ability to use it. You will have to practice the ability to its full potential.
Now then, there are only two subjects you can have. Choose wisely, or not, both will be interesting to see.
In a year's time mortal.
By the end of the History of Magick class, Harry Potter looked thoughtful. Most didn't pay attention though as they were too busy stretching and awakening from their morning nap in boring class. This also made Hermione miss the look, and the little manual that her friend was clutching tightly.
The next class of the day was of course Potions. Harry sat silently next to Hermione, and decided that he had enough of being goaded by the world and his potions professor. He had effectively given up this week, as showcased by his attempt at a summoning ritual. He no longer felt the need to try and earn the approval of anyone, as was about to be evidenced by the following actions.
Gliding down the aisles between the desks where each student tried to brew their potions, Professor Snape glared at each potion with a critical eye. Most of them he gave a sneer to, unimpressed by the level of quality being produced by the students.
Finally, he landed upon his favorite target, Harry Potter. While he would never admit it allowed, the potion that was being brewed by both Granger and Potter was of an acceptable quality. This however, could not be allowed to slide as it was truly impossible for James Potter's spawn to create anything note worthy.
"Potter," Snape stated in his usual drawl. "What do you think you're doing?"
Harry, for once showing a level of calm unheard of in the teen, turned to face his professor with a blank expression. "Brewing a potion, sir," he responded.
"I can see the obvious Potter," Snape sneered. "However, if I must spell it out for your simpleton brain to understand, what are you doing with those daisies?"
"Crushing them sir, it gets more juice out," Harry answered.
Snape, while internally pleased with the response, couldn't let this show, he had a reputation to uphold after all. "So you thought you would go against the instructions then?" he stated, unimpressed.
Harry nodded, "I believed it to be a more effective course of action," Harry responded.
While this was happening, the entire class had slowed down their actions to watch the talk. What normally would have been a pissing contest between the two, was no far more of a civil argument. The two were battling in such a different way that it was unheard of. All stared at the duo in interest, waiting to see what would happen next.
"So you followed your belief rather than what you were told? Clearly your celebrity status has gotten to your head Potter. Five points from Gryffindor for your lack of protocol,"
Harry, to the surprise of all present, merely nodded. He said nothing and attempted to turn away from the Bully professor. Snape meanwhile, watched, trying to fine and excuse to give the boy a detention. Noticing Granger help, he pounced on it.
"Potter, what do you think you're doing now?" he inquired.
"Following the instructions sir," he replied, his voice rising in tone. He had enough of this crap. "But clearly, you don't need this stated, it is obvious after all,"
"Detention, Mr. Potter, for your cheek And for you're using a classmates assistance, this is an independent project. Meet me in my office tomorrow evening at 7 o'clock and no later,"
Harry clenched his fist, and soon let it go. "As you say, Professor,"
The class went back to normal after that, and ended soon thereafter. Harry gathered his things, and left, storming out of the room in a hurry to contain his anger.
Hermione tried to keep up with him, trying to get his attention.
"Harry, you can't let him get to you," she was saying. "Go see Dumbledore, you can contest the farce of a punishment handed to you," she tried.
Harry stopped once they had gotten far enough away. "Hermione, please stop. I'm not going to contest it, I'm not going to see Dumbledore, and I'm NOT going to complain. That's all that old greasy git wants me to do, and I'm not giving him the satisfaction," Harry replied, tired.
Hermione looked sad for him. "Then what are you going to do?" she inquired.
"Work, I'm going into a suicide contest and I'm tired of being unprepared. Now, if you'll excuse me for a moment, I need a break,"
Hermione wanted to protest, but new that it was futile. She also understood that her friend needed space seeing as he was on the brink of collapse. Watching him go, she realized that it was lunch and she needed to eat. Heading to the great hall, she missed the blue eyes that watched her leave, and then turned towards the direction Harry had left in.
Sitting down in the library, Harry took out some parchment and began to draw notes. He was debating the pros and cons of each of the types of magick that had been listed for him to learn. He drew personal reasons as to why he should learn them and then logical reasons. It was best to analyse all the options before choosing, as it would serve him best to have all the information.
Crossed out already was Almighty Magic, Mage Magic, Necromancy and Evocation magick. The reasons were simple, the cost of three of them was too risky, and the mage magic was an unknown. Soul magick had it's merits, but it had more cons at the present time that he didn't believe it deserved a higher place in the list. Animagus on the other hand, was one of the top things he felt the need to learn. There were many reasons for this, as it was both useful to have an animal form, and because it would allow him to share a connection with his father.
Now, for the three other possibilities that he was considering. Alchemy sounded intriguing, but complicated, something that he felt unready to learn at this point in time. Next, Mind magick. It seemed important to have control of one's mind, but he was unsure as to whether it was the most important of them all.
Lastly, elemental magick. This seemed a much more likely choice, simply because any of the elements would be valuable to control. However, it was still a shot in the dark in terms of whether it should be a priority.
While this was happening, Harry found to his amusement that someone had decided to approach him. He of course, showed no sign of this, but he did thank the detective and perimeter enchantments that he had placed around himself.
"Lot of parchment you have there," a voice called. Harry looked up, surprised, or so that was how he acted. "Excuse me?" he asked, looking up at the visitor who had decided to see him.
It was a girl. In fact, not just any girl, but a Slytherin girl. She had long blonde hair, and icy blue eyes. Harry was surprised that a Slytherin student would approach him. It seemed odd to him that any one of them would even dare associate themselves with a half-blood. Nevertheless, he had long since learned that people had sides to them that remained hidden, as evidenced in his earlier life and current one.
The silence between the two was odd, but Harry decided that he'd give her a bit of rope seeing as she was clearly waiting on him.
"Yes, well I am rather busy researching things at the present time, so it is rather necessary,"
Nothing changed in her face, though her eyes seemed to shine a little at the sentence. "And what type of research are you doing?"
Harry was curious, why was she so interested in knowing what he was doing? Oh well, he could always reflect on it later. "The one on the differences of magick. I'm comparing which is most pressing to learn,"
The girl looked down at his work, seeing his notes and the crossed out ones. "Narrowed it down already I see,"
"Amazing observation," Harry replied sarcastically.
She looked back up. Eyes calculating, as debating on the next course of action.
"You know, most would have introduced themselves at this point miss. Or at least used and alias," Harry pointed out.
She smiled. "So they would have. Let me start over,"
"Right, go along then,"
"Daphne Greengrass, heiress to the Greengrass family,"
"Harry Potter,"
The two looked at each other, assessing the other for any sign of malice, or ill intent such as distrust.
Finally, Daphne spoke. "I admit to being surprised by not being judged yet despite being Slytherin,"
"Well, as a face wearing Green and Silver, you were. However, as Heiress Greengrass, I shall withhold my judgement and base them off your actions," Harry replied.
A surprised look came across her face. "That's certainly a surprise,"
"I'm full of them," Harry replied cheekily.
"So you are. Now then, the narrowed down possibilities, what are they?" she asked, evidently curious.
Harry watched her intently, making her doubt her choice of words for a while, before he finally passed the parchment over to her. The only legible things left were Mind magicks, Elemental magicks and Alchemy.
"Mind Magick, Alchemy and Elemental magick are what I've narrowed down as the second possibilities too what I should learn,"
"These are good choices, though your notes voice rather accurate and well thought out points," she mused. "I though, would go for the mind arts,"
Harry raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh, and why is that?"
Daphne smirked, "It is far more useful than the others. But for any further information, you have to have to give me something," she stated.
Harry smiled. He knew this game, he watched people play it all the time. "What do you want?"
"I want to know what your first choice was," she stated.
Harry shrugged. "Animagus, but you'll have to figure out why,"
Daphne frowned, clearly not expecting this response. Another moment of silence passed between them before Harry decided to circle Mind Magick. "Look Greengrass, while it has been a pleasure getting to meet someone who didn't outright insult me upon first meeting me, I have work to attend to,"
Harry got up, and gathered his things. It was time for him to leave anyway, and he needed to make it to his next class.
"Wait!" she called out after him.
Harry stopped, intrigued.
"Yes?"
She huffed. "I'm not used to being dismissed so easily, what do you want?"
"What do I want?" Harry asked, confused.
"Yes, name your price, I'm sure we can work out a deal," she tried.
Harry was confused. "Look, all I want is to survive another attempt on my life. Maybe make a friend or too, and eventually get the hell out of here. One more year and I'm home free," He admitted.
Daphne though, looked like she wanted to argue. "Potter, I assure you there is things I can offer," she stated.
"Look Greengrass, the better question is what do you want?" Harry returned.
She paused. "What I want?" she asked, confused.
"Yes, what you want. You came after me, not the other way around. Now what do you want from me?"
Daphne collected herself before saying. "An alliance,"
"Pardon?"
"An alliance, I want to be on the winning side. You've got access to a fortune and artifacts that anyone would be desperate to covet," she stated.
Harry now looked confused. "Excuse me? All I have are enough galleons to see me off through school and get started with my life," Harry stated.
Now it was Daphne who was confused. "What? You mean you don't know of your heritage?"
Harry was now getting annoyed. "What Heritage? I've been raised by muggles until I was eleven, and was told my parents were war hero's and that's the end of it," Harry replied.
Daphne frowned. "No wonder you never followed the proper protocol," she muttered. Turning to face him, she then put on a winning smile. "Look Potter, I have an offer and I'd like you to consider it," she stated.
Harry nodded, beckoning for her to continue.
"I will teach you about wizarding society, customs and your family heritage, well at least what is known about them, and in exchange, you have to promise to form an alliance with myself,"
Harry thought about it, then nodded. "That seems agreeable. Meet me in the library Sunday afternoon at 3 o'clock and we can finalize this there," he replied.
"Wonderful," Daphne replied with a smile.
The two then left to go for their classes.
That evening, Harry sat alone in his bed as he fiddled with the device. Finally, he activated it and used the instructions in the manual to get the knowledge he would need.
This is where everything became a nightmare. The device, which looked like an innocent cellphone, crew a long tendril made of what appeared to be electrical wires. It quickly impaled itself into his wrist where the veins were, and began pumping the knowledge into him.
The silencing charms he had placed around his bed kept those in his dorm from finding out about his activities, which was great as he was yelling at the top of his lungs, screaming in agony as he got a major headache at the forced knowledge.
When it finally ended, the device sent his body to sleep, so that he would have an easier transition with the new information. In fact, from the moment he woke up in the morning, life seemed to fly him by.
Summary of events leading up too final task.
Harry did his detention with Snape, and then moved on to practice his new found magick. He found Hermione and eventually confessed what he had done to get her help. At first, she was shocked that he would try such experimental magick, but then, decided to forgive him understanding that he was desperate and made a rash choice.
The two worked together on getting him to work on his mind magick, which Hermione found a book on called Occlumency. The information inside was rather important and matched much of the first steps that Harry had received, however it was nothing compared to the whole level of mind arts that he had 'downloaded' as Hermione had coined it.
On the side, his meeting with Daphne had gone well, and he was now learning more about the important customs that he should have been told when he had entered the world. In fact, the things he had missed infuriated him, and he was upset that it had been withheld from him.
But, eventually, he calmed down and began to take in as much as he could. Daphne proved to be a great teacher, and great acquaintance. While her motifs were still uncertain in Harry's mind, he felt that he could trust her not to stab him in the back for the moment. He had plans to make sure he upheld his end of the bargain.
Finally though, the first task came. He performed quite well, having practiced the accio charm to get his firebolt and save the golden egg.
Upon the completion of the task, Ron came and apologized to him, and Harry accepted him back, but he was no longer his best mate. Ron was informed that he would have to work to earn his trust, and that he would only be considered as his friend for the moment. In a rare moment of maturity, Ron had shown he understood the significance of the situation, and that he would work hard to prove himself.
Next came the Yule ball. Harry went with his Parvati, and treated her better than he normally would have. The night ended fast, and Harry once again went up to study. Ron didn't throw a fit about being with Hermione, as his shame for betraying his friend had knocked some sense into him. Instead, he did is best to act like a good date for Padma and did his best to make her night enjoyable.
Then, the second task came. Harry had yet to finish the animagus Process, but his progress in the Mind Magicks had allowed him to fully master Occlumency and move on to what he deemed the cooler aspects. Using gillyweed and telekinesis, he managed to save both Fleur's sister and Ron Weasley. Upon breaching the water's surface, Ron was the first of the two to snap awake, and looked around wildly. Seeing Harry holding onto him and this little girl, he took the opportunity to help his friend with their extra charge. Upon reaching land, Barry and Ron were both given a kiss on the cheek by Fleur for saving her sister, and the two then moved on with their lives.
Finally, by the time the third task came, Harry had found out what his animagus form was. That, and he had managed during one trip to hogsmead to create his alliance with Daphne through the goblins by using the floos there to get to Gringotts.
The third task of course though, had been a trap, and Harry found himself cursing his luck that it all happened again. He watched Cedric die, was tied to a grave and forced to partake in a ritual to bring back the dark lord.
Present time
Harry was running, dodging spell fire as he did so. The cry of "Leave him, he's mine!" from Voldemort filled his ears. In his sights was the Cup. He just had to reach it and he'd be fine. He was driven as he had studied all fucking year to learn two new types of magick, both of which he had yet to reach the limit of. He had made a friend in Slytherin of all places and had discovered his animagus form.
With that thought in mind, he sprinted forward with more determination then before, desperate to get out of there. Putting his wand over his shoulder, he shouted out "Impedimenta!"
A muffled sound was his only response, allowing him the comfort of knowing there was now one less death eater after him. More spells blasted past him, causing the 14 year old wizard to dive to the ground, landing next to Cedric's body.
Looking up, he pointed at the cup, and yelled out, "Accio!" The cup flew forwards, landing in his hand, but Harry's heart sank after just a second. It couldn't be.
The portkey didn't activate like it was supposed to. A cold laugh that could only be attributed to Voldemort followed.
"Foolish boy. Did you honestly believe I would make the cup two ways?" he questioned mockingly.
Harry looked back in fear and anger. How could he be thwarted so easily? He had survived 3 times already, something which was already quite hard to do, and yet was now going to be bested? In his anger, Harry began acting like a cornered animal. He summoned his magick, his telepathy and telekinetic powers to assist him as well as multiple spells he had learned throughout the year.
His magick began acting furiously, unrestrained as he stood up, and faced Voldemort. His anger gave way to an emotion that he rarely felt. Wrath. Voldemort meanwhile, noticed how the one he had marked 13 years ago seemed to begin to ooze magic from his being. His eyes were glowing a killing curse green, and he was rather pissed. Suddenly, the Death Eaters around Voldemort fell to their knees, clutching their heads in pain as they heard an intense screaming of anger in their heads, paralyzing them. Rocks and debris were flying around him and striking down many a Death eater. None were killed, but heavy injury did occur.
Voldemort smiled, a truly worthy foe was facing him. Now he didn't have to feel like he was beating on a little boy! The two raised their wands once more, and began casting furiously. Harry let everything he knew loose, dueling with a vigor he had previously been unable to accomplish.
If one were to look at the two, they could clearly tell that Harry was dishing out much more power in his spells. However, his actions were sloppy and untrained, something which Voldemort used against him with his experience and years. The two were going at it with all they could, one limited by lack of experience, and one limited by the new body he had received.
However, as was predictable, Harry made a mistake that Voldemort capitalized on. Having animated the large reaper statue that stood over his father's grave, Voldemort had it sneak up behind Harry while he was focused entirely on him. This allowed the statue to finally eliminate the boy with a clean motion as its stone scythe sliced right through him, piercing his chest and right lung.
Harry's eyes went wide and he coughed, blood flying from his mouth. Voldemort sneered. With a simple motion, the statue released the impaled wizard from its scythe, and Harry fell to the floor.
Voldemort walked slowly over to the prone and dying form of his nemesis, always one for theatrics. Once he stood next to Harry, he placed his foot on top of him triumphantly. "What a great show," he mocked the dying boy.
Harry was too busy feeling the blood leaking from his chest to honestly care at this point. 'Hurry up and kill me you snake faced bastard,' he thought through the pain. He was not going to let this madman have his fun with him.
Voldemort gestured to all his minions. "YOU SEE. None can defeat me! Not even a boy with magickal protection!" He gloated to all of them.
"And now, because he chose to fight so honorably, I shall leave him here, in peace to live his final moments," he stated with a sinister smile. However, it was all interrupted by a stranger's voice.
"You done yet boy?" Harry was surprised, and a memory of what he had done earlier in the year came to him. He must have proven himself then, for who else could be coming to him now?
Voldemort and the Death Eaters whirled around to face the sound, and spotted a tall man wearing a black cloak with runic markings over it. His eyes were golden with slit irises and he had silver hair. A mustache and small stubble covered his face, as did thick eyebrows, all of which were the same silver in color as his hair.
"Who, might I ask, are you?" Voldemort said, confused by the man's sudden presence.
"Damascus," the man replied.
"Well then, Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort muttered lazily at the man.
Without any further prompt, the man suddenly appeared right next to Harry, baffling the others at his speed and uncaring attitude as well as his skill in dodging the curse. Damascus kneeled down, examining the wound in Harry's chest, and rolled the boy over so he could see into the kid's eyes. Then, he snapped his fingers, freezing Voldemort and his lackeys in place just as Voldemort prepared to cast another killing curse.
Harry, now no longer facing the dirt, found himself gazing into the golden gems lying within the man's eye sockets. "W-what?" Harry gasped out, unbelieving as he stared up at the man.
"Stay still boy, you've a minute at most left," the man murmured.
Harry opened his mouth once more, but couldn't even make any further sound. Looking down at him, he made a different gesture with his hands, and watched expectantly as Harry's chest began to mend and fix itself, healing him. "There you go,"
Another gesture and Harry was able to speak, albeit rather weakly.
"W-who, who are you?" Harry asked, awed by the man standing kneeling next to him.
"Damascus, Summoner," he answered.
"What... how are you doing all of this," Harry gestured around himself, though it was sluggish and not very well articulated.
"Magic. Now child, I have a proposition for you," Damascus began.
Harry rested his head back on the grass, unable to properly move. He coughed before asking of the higher being, "Isn't it me... who's supposed to have the proposition?"
Damascus smirked, "Not really. You're just a mortal, your opinion is valued but not really important. Now then, as I was saying. Since you summoned me to help you, I will do so by taking you on as my student.
Harry looked surprised. "Really? Your student? What do you get out of this?" he asked, slightly suspicious of the man's actions. Higher beings were always dangerous and had motifs not well understood by those of lower standing.
"I get entertainment, and more," he replied. Then, with a expressionless gaze, he said, "Does this suit you?"
"That's it? what's the catch?" Harry immediately responded.
"None, you summoned me, and fulfilled your end of the deal. By the contract's power that I answered, I am heavily obliged to fulfill my end,"
"Now, then, are you ready to go?"
Harry's eyes widened. "Wait!
"Yes?"
"Just please take me to Hogwarts with Cedric's body, my friend's need to know I'm okay," Harry insisted.
Damascus looked thoughtful for a second, then nodded, "I can do that,"
Time unfroze, and Voldemort screamed in anger as Damascus and Harry vanished along with Cedric's body into a void.
Dumbledore, the ever watchful and knowledgeable wizard, also known as one of the strongest of the time, was worried.
The tournament, something he had organized to better the relationships between the schools as well as get his own students to make friends abroad, had immediately gone south at the start of the tournament. Harry Potter was not supposed to have been elected. He WAS supposed to survive the year, have fun and make friends with other students, grow out of his shell and have a childhood. That ended up exploding in his face when Harry's name flew out of the cursed goblet.
Then, out of nowhere, there is a loud crash where the cup should have been. There, laying on the floor, was Harry along with Cedric. The two were in a heap, and Dumbledore was looking on in foreboding.
He approached the boy he had tried his best to give a childhood to, and looked on with fear. Then, Harry coughed, and he felt somewhat relieved. Turning his gaze to Cedric, he noticed that there was no breathing. This made his heart sink.
"Harry!" he called out, worried for the boy.
Groaning was the response he got.
Moody then showed up, getting Harry up. The boy at first struggled, not willing to let go of his dead classmate.
Girls began screaming, sobbing hysterically, making Dumbledore wonder what the scene would have looked like before Harry's eyes. The crowd then swarmed over them, and Dumbledore heard bits of pieces that followed.
"It's all right, son, I've got you . . . come on . . . hospital wing . . ." Moody said, causing Dumbledore to grow suspicious of his old friend.
"Dumbledore said stay," said Harry thickly, trying to pull away. Dumbledore was about to go in pursuit when suddenly, he saw the oddest thing. From Harry's shadow, there was what looked like an eye and a sharp grin of teeth. However, though was no head or face to attach these things to...
"You need to lie down. . . . Come on now. . . ." Someone larger and stronger than he was was half pulling, half carrying him through the frightened crowd. Harry heard people gasping, screaming, and shouting as the man supporting him pushed a path through them, taking him back to the castle. Across the lawn, past the lake and the Durmstrang ship, Harry heard nothing but the heavy breathing of the man helping him walk. "What happened, Harry?" the man asked at last as he lifted Harry up the stone steps. Clunk. Clunk. Clunk. It was Mad-Eye Moody.
"Cup was a Portkey," said Harry as they crossed the entrance hall. "Took me and Cedric to a graveyard . . . and Voldemort was there . . . Lord Voldemort . . ." Clunk. Clunk. Clunk. Up the marble stairs . . .
"The Dark Lord was there? What happened then?" "Killed Cedric . . . they killed Cedric. . . ." "And then?" Clunk. Clunk. Clunk. Along the corridor . . . "Made a potion . . . got his body back. . . ." "The Dark Lord got his body back? He's returned?" "And the Death Eaters came . . . and then we dueled. . . ." "You dueled with the Dark Lord?" "Got away . . . my wand . . . did something funny. . . . I saw my mum and dad . . . they came out of his wand. . . ." "In here, Harry . . . in here, and sit down. . . . You'll be all right now . . . drink this. . . ." Harry heard a key scrape in a lock and felt a cup being pushed into his hands. "Drink it . . . you'll feel better . . . come on, now, Harry, I need to know exactly what happened. . . ." Moody helped tip the stuff down Harry's throat; he coughed, a peppery taste burning his throat. Moody's office came into sharper focus, and so did Moody himself. . . .
He looked as white as Fudge had looked, and both eyes were fixed unblinkingly upon Harry's face. "Voldemort's back, Harry? You're sure he's back? How did he do it?" "He took stuff from his father's grave, and from Wormtail, and me," said Harry. His head felt clearer; his scar wasn't hurting so badly; he could now see Moody's face distinctly, even though the office was dark. He could still hear screaming and shouting from the distant Quidditch field. "What did the Dark Lord take from you?" said Moody. "Blood," said Harry, raising his arm. His sleeve was ripped where Wormtail's dagger had torn it. Moody let out his breath in a long, low hiss. "And the Death Eaters? They returned?" "Yes," said Harry. "Loads of them . . ."
"How did he treat them?" Moody asked quietly. "Did he forgive them?"
But Harry had suddenly remembered. He should have told Dumbledore, he should have said it straightaway "There's a Death Eater at Hogwarts! There's a Death Eater here — they put my name in the Goblet of Fire, they made sure I got through to the end —"
Harry tried to get up, but Moody pushed him back down. "I know who the Death Eater is," he said quietly.
"Karkaroff?" said Harry wildly. "Where is he? Have you got him? Is he locked up?"
"Karkaroff?" said Moody with an odd laugh. "Karkaroff fled tonight, when he felt the Dark Mark burn upon his arm. He betrayed too many faithful supporters of the Dark Lord to wish to meet them . . . but I doubt he will get far. The Dark Lord has ways of tracking his enemies."
"Karkaroff's gone? He ran away? But then — he didn't put my name in the goblet?"
"No," said Moody slowly. "No, he didn't. It was I who did that."
Harry heard, but didn't believe. "No, you didn't," he said. "You didn't do that . . . you can't have done . . ."
"I assure you I did," said Moody, and his magical eye swung around and fixed upon the door, and Harry knew he was making sure that there was no one outside it. At the same time, Moody drew out his wand and pointed it at Harry.
"He forgave them, then?" he said. "The Death Eaters who went free? The ones who escaped Azkaban?"
"What?" said Harry. He was looking at the wand Moody was pointing at him. This was a bad joke, it had to be.
"I asked you," said Moody quietly, "whether he forgave the scum who never even went to look for him. Those treacherous cowards who wouldn't even brave Azkaban for him. The faithless, worthless bits of filth who were brave enough to cavort in masks at the Quidditch World Cup, but fled at the sight of the Dark Mark when I fired it into the sky."
"You fired . . . What are you talking about . . . ?"
"I told you, Harry . . . I told you. If there's one thing I hate more than any other, it's a Death Eater who walked free. They turned their backs on my master when he needed them most. I expected him to punish them. I expected him to torture them. Tell me he hurt them, Harry. . . ." Moody's face was suddenly lit with an insane smile. "Tell me he told them that I, I alone remained faithful . . . prepared to risk everything to deliver to him the one thing he wanted above all . . . you." "You didn't . . . it — it can't be you. . . ." "Who put your name in the Goblet of Fire, under the name of a different school? I did. Who frightened off every person I thought might try to hurt you or prevent you from winning the tournament? I did. Who nudged Hagrid into showing you the dragons? I did. Who helped you see the only way you could beat the dragon? I did." Moody's magical eye had now left the door. It was fixed upon Harry. His lopsided mouth leered more widely than ever. "It hasn't been easy, Harry, guiding you through these tasks without arousing suspicion. I have had to use every ounce of cunning I possess, so that my hand would not be detectable in your success. Dumbledore would have been very suspicious if you had managed everything too easily. As long as you got into that maze, preferably with a decent head start — then, I knew, I would have a chance of getting rid of the other champions and leaving your way clear. But I also had to contend with your stupidity. The second task . . . that was when I was most afraid we would fail. I was keeping watch on you, Potter. I knew you hadn't worked out the egg's clue, so I had to give you another hint —"
"You didn't," Harry said hoarsely. "Cedric gave me the clue —"
"Who told Cedric to open it underwater? I did. I trusted that he would pass the information on to you. Decent people are so easy to manipulate, Potter. I was sure Cedric would want to repay you for telling him about the dragons, and so he did. But even then, Potter, even then you seemed likely to fail. I was watching all the time . . . all those hours in the library. Didn't you realize that the book you needed was in your dormitory all along? I planted it there early on, I gave it to the Longbottom boy, don't you remember? Magical Water Plants of the Mediterranean. It would have told you all you needed to know about gillyweed. I expected you to ask everyone and anyone you could for help. Longbottom would have told you in an instant. But you did not . . . you did not. . . . You have a streak of pride and independence that might have ruined all. "So what could I do? Feed you information from another innocent source. You told me at the Yule Ball a house-elf called Dobby had given you a Christmas present. I called the elf to the staffroom to collect some robes for cleaning. I staged a loud conversation with Professor McGonagall about the hostages who had been taken, and whether Potter would think to use gillyweed. And your little elf friend ran straight to Snape's office and then hurried to find you. . . ." Moody's wand was still pointing directly at Harry's heart. Over his shoulder, foggy shapes were moving in the Foe-Glass on the wall. "You were so long in that lake, Potter, I thought you had drowned. But luckily, Dumbledore took your idiocy for nobility, and marked you high for it. I breathed again. "You had an easier time of it than you should have in that maze tonight, of course," said Moody. "I was patrolling around it, able to see through the outer hedges, able to curse many obstacles out of your way. I Stunned Fleur Delacour as she passed. I put the Imperius Curse on Krum, so that he would finish Diggory and leave your path to the cup clear."
Harry stared at Moody. He just didn't see how this could be. . . . Dumbledore's friend, the famous Auror . . . the one who had caught so many Death Eaters . . . It made no sense . . . no sense at all. . . . The foggy shapes in the Foe-Glass were sharpening, had become more distinct. Harry could see the outlines of three people over Moody's shoulder, moving closer and closer. But Moody wasn't watching them. His magical eye was upon Harry.
"The Dark Lord didn't manage to kill you, Potter, and he so wanted to," whispered Moody. "Imagine how he will reward me when he finds I have done it for him. I gave you to him — the thing he needed above all to regenerate — and then I killed you for him. I will be honored beyond all other Death Eaters. I will be his dearest, his closest supporter . . . closer than a son. . . ." Moody's normal eye was bulging, the magical eye fixed upon Harry. The door was barred, and Harry knew he would never reach his own wand in time. . . .
"The Dark Lord and I," said Moody, and he looked completely insane now, towering over Harry, leering down at him, "have much in common. Both of us, for instance, had very disappointing fathers . . . very disappointing indeed. Both of us suffered the indignity, Harry, of being named after those fathers. And both of us had the pleasure . . . the very great pleasure . . . of killing our fathers to ensure the continued rise of the Dark Order!"
"You're mad," Harry said — he couldn't stop himself — "you're mad!"
"Mad, am I?" said Moody, his voice rising uncontrollably. "We'll see! We'll see who's mad, now that the Dark Lord has returned, with me at his side! He is back, Harry Potter, you did not conquer him — and now — I conquer you!"
Moody raised his wand, he opened his mouth; Harry plunged his own hand into his robes, but was quickly made immobile by the bastard. Moody grinned at the terror on Harry's face, and shouted out, "Avada Kedavra!"
Too his surprise and anger though, the killing curse was swallowed whole by Harry's shadow, something which surprised both occupants of the room. And as if to add insult to injury, the shadow grew a large pair of pearly white teeth which it used to grin. "Bar-te-mius Crou-ch Jun-ior," the shadow grin taunted Moody with a hissing like sound.
Moody grew rather angry at this, and yelled in outrage, shooting off another killing curse. At the same time, the door to the room blew open, revealing Dumbledore, Snape and McGonagall.
The Shadow once more swallowed the curse, and then, it began to grow. This froze all the occupants of the room in place, not counting Harry as he was already frozen. The shadow began to take on monster like characteristics. It grew into a tall tuxedo wearing creature, with rather long and slender limbs. Its face was blank, having no features other than the ridiculously creepy and insane Cheshire cat grin that covered its face. (1)
The following phrases that followed were all spoken in a deep, demonic hiss/growl. "Tsk, Tsk, Tsk. Trying to harm my prize is not the way to go about things Barty," The monster spoke to the wizard, completely unfazed by the second curse to have hit it.
Moody was starting to pale, looking less and less like the proud Auror Harry had thought he had known. Then, in a rather aggressive manner, it said, "Now, I harm you!" And just like that, the monster struck. Large black tendrils shot forwards and impaled Moody in all his limbs, pinning him down.
Harry and the others watched horrified, having never seen something so terrifying before. Dumbledore seemed to be unlucky in this situation, as he was the one the creature confronted next. "Headmaster," The monster said with a sinister chuckle, "I've many ways to finish off this insect, though I do feel he may yet be of use to you," it mused.
Dumbledore took a chance and nodded. "He is of use alive, yes," the old wizard managed to spit out.
The creature nodded. "Of course he is. Let me incapacitate him further, then he is yours. My price though, will be no delays when I come to collect my prize," the creature warned.
Dumbledore, not considered the wisest and smartest wizard of the age for no reason, agreed to the terms. After all, there was no way he could say no to the monstrosity. Moody's screams were silenced as his limbs were snapped over and over until almost every bone in each limb was broken and bent at an angle that it shouldn't be.
"There we are, completely incapacitated," The creature said with a malicious smile. Then, it turned to face Harry. Releasing him from the spell, it then leaned forward, coming very close into his personal space. It smiled even more when it noticed that Harry stared back determinedly, despite his shaking body. "Remember our deal Child. I'll be back here tomorrow at 1400 Hours. Be prepared to leave by then,"
Harry nodded, having realized that the monster was either the odd man from the graveyard, or one of his servants.
The creature vanished not a moment after it finished its sentence, and the room immediately began to buzz with activity.
Dumbledore ordered Snape to get veritaserum while McGonagall went straight for Harry. "Come along now Mr. Potter... It's about time we got you to the hospital wing," she said quietly.
"No," said Dumbledore sharply.
"Dumbledore, he ought to — look at him — he's been through enough tonight —"
"He will stay, Minerva, because he needs to understand," said Dumbledore curtly.
"Understanding is the first step to acceptance, and only with acceptance can there be recovery. He needs to know who has put him through the ordeal he has suffered tonight, and why."
"Barty," Harry said. He was confused, calm now that the being he had summoned had protected him."Who in the hell is Barty?"
"That, is a very good question," said Dumbledore quietly. "You have never known Alastor Moody. The real Moody would not have removed you from my sight after what happened tonight. The moment he took you, I knew — and I followed." Dumbledore bent down over Moody's limp form and put a hand inside his robes. He pulled out Moody's hip flask and a set of keys on a ring. Then he turned to Professors McGonagall and Snape.
"Severus, please fetch me the strongest Truth Potion you possess, and then go down to the kitchens and bring up the house-elf called Winky. Minerva, kindly go down to Hagrid's house, where you will find a large black dog sitting in the pumpkin patch. Take the dog up to my office, tell him I will be with him shortly, then come back here." If either Snape or McGonagall found these instructions peculiar, they hid their confusion. Both turned at once and left the office. Dumbledore walked over to the trunk with seven locks, fitted the first key in the lock, and opened it. It contained a mass of spellbooks. Dumbledore closed the trunk, placed a second key in the second lock, and opened the trunk again. The spellbooks had vanished; this time it contained an assortment of broken Sneakoscopes, some parchment and quills, and what looked like a silvery Invisibility Cloak. Harry watched, astounded, as Dumbledore placed the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth keys in their respective locks, reopening the trunk, and each time revealing different contents.
Then he placed the seventh key in the lock, threw open the lid, and Harry let out a cry of amazement. He was looking down into a kind of pit, an underground room, and lying on the floor some ten feet below, apparently fast asleep, thin and starved in appearance, was the real Mad-Eye Moody. His wooden leg was gone, the socket that should have held the magical eye looked empty beneath its lid, and chunks of his grizzled hair were missing. Harry stared, thunderstruck, between the sleeping Moody in the trunk and the unconscious Moody lying on the floor of the office. Dumbledore climbed into the trunk, lowered himself, and fell lightly onto the floor beside the sleeping Moody. He bent over him.
"Stunned — controlled by the Imperius Curse — very weak,"he said.
"Of course, they would have needed to keep him alive. Harry, throw down the impostor's cloak — he's freezing. Madam Pomfrey will need to see him, but he seems in no immediate danger." Harry did as he was told; Dumbledore covered Moody in the cloak, tucked it around him, and clambered out of the trunk again.
Soon after, Snape returned and waited for Dumbledore's word. They all watched as Moody became a completely different man, as well as getting him to awaken. Snape then fed him the truth potion, and Harry watched fascinated as the man began to answer all questions asked in a monotone voice.
Eventually, he came to understand the events that had transpired up until the present... well at least most of them.
Harry was quickly led to the Hospital wing once the interrogation was all complete. Dumbledore though, decided to go the extra mile, not that Harry would find out until later though. He asked Barty for confirmation of Sirius Black's membership as a Death Eater which Barty denied in a monotone voice.
Harry awoke the next morning, feeling first disoriented and then well. He looked around himself, finding to his surprise and joy, that Ron and Hermione were next to him, dozing in one of the chairs that inhabited the room.
He felt himself oddly touched that they would choose to do this for him, as he was still unused to the feeling even after 4 years of living in the magical world. His thoughts though, changed from the pleasant ones to what ifs. He knew, that he had until 2 o'clock in afternoon before he would be whisked away by the odd man/creature thing.
His musings though, were stopped rather quickly, as Harry heard the voice of Dumbledore interrupt them. "Morning Harry," the old wizard greeted joyfully.
Harry looked up, eyes surprised. "Morning sir," Harry replied, bowing his head.
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled in amusement. "Come now Harry, there is no need for such formality,"
"Right, sir," Harry replied, face reddening. Trying to keep the conversation going, Harry quickly asked, "Is there something you need Professor?"
Dumbledore's eyes become solemn at this, "Yes my boy, there is. I would like you to accompany me to my office,"
Harry nodded. Getting out of bed, he quietly followed the headmaster out so as to not disturb his two friends. While they walked, Harry began to feel nervous. He felt as if something he had done was wrong, and was quite ready to get an earful when he walked into the Headmaster's office.
"Chocolate Frogs," Dumbledore said to the statue of the gargoyle, which sprung to the side to let him in.
Once they were inside of the Headmaster's office, Harry was led to a chair, and Dumbledore took a seat behind his desk. "Now, Harry," He began, his expression becoming stern. "I need you to answer a few questions," he started.
Harry nodded.
"First, let's go with the most pressing. What in Merlin's name was that creature last night?" Dumbledore asked, eyebrows raised as he waited for an answer.
Harry shifted nervously. "I don't know sir. It wasn't a monster when it saved my life," he replied.
"Saved your life?"
"Yes, you see I was impaled through the chest yesterday," Harry explained.
Dumbledore's eyes bulged. "WHAT!"
Harry flinched back, not used to his Headmaster's tone. Dumbledore had to visibly calm himself, and then, in a low whisper, said. "Harry, I need you to answer me honestly, Did you let that creature turn you? Are you still human?"
Harry was baffled. "Of course I'm still human!" he exclaimed.
"Then how are you here?" Dumbledore countered, though it was calmer and more curious.
"It healed me sir. It had been a man like you and I before you saw its other form," Harry explained.
A nod was all Harry saw as confirmation that Dumbledore was beginning to understand. "Fine. But then, what bargain did you make? Did you give up your soul?"
"No!" Harry exclaimed.
"Then what did you do Harry? What could a creature like that ask for in exchange for your life?"
"Sir. That creature is fulfilling its end of a contract! It is also making me into its student,"
"His Student! Harry that takes you away from the safety of your family's wards!"
Then Dumbledore paused, "And what the devil do you mean its end of the contract. What have you done Harry?" he whispered the last part.
Harry began to grow angry hear. "Sir, It was either that or I die! I don't see what the stress is! I got to fulfill Cedric's dying request, and I get to come say goodbye in person. You're going to have to let this go sir. Also, if what happened last night isn't example enough, I think I will be rather safe from outside harm. As for the contract, I performed a summoning ritual at the start of the year," Harry confessed.
Dumbledore's gaze Hardened, "Rituals, Harry, have been outlawed for good reason, especially summoning ones. Where on earth did you find the knowledge?"
"You'd be surprised at what's inside the Hogwarts library,"
Dumbledore shook his head. "Why did you perform the ritual?"
Harry glared at his headmaster. "Sir, I've been pushed around since I came here, I've had more attempts on my life then any other student here and I have always been met with contempt for being alive. I decided to take control of my life,"
Dumbledore looked surprised. "Don't take this the wrong way sir, but I'm positive my choice was right. No outside harm will come to me while I am under that being's care,"
"But what about interior harm Harry," Dumbledore stated softly.
"Wouldn't be the first time,"
Dumbledore was shocked. If what Harry had just said was true, then he had made the gravest mistake all those years ago. Brushing the matter from his mind, he promised himself to look into it later.
"Harry, I will leave this be for now. However, I still need you to explain to me what happened last night,"
"Of course, Professor," Harry replied, monotone now.
The retelling of the previous evenings events were something Dumbledore did not enjoy to hear. It confirmed his suspicions that Voldemort was much more immersed in the Dark Arts then he had originally thought. Eventually though, he released Harry from his office, allowing the poor boy to go off and enjoy what remained of his day with his friends.
"WHAT!"
"HARRY WHY!"
Harry winced as both Ron and Hermione were feeling anguish over what was to come. He knew it was unfair, but couldn't they focus on something else?
"Look guys, let's just eat, I'm not in the mood to discuss this further," Harry replied seriously.
Hermione looked like she was about to protest further, but was stopped by a glare from Harry. Her shoulders sagged, and she nodded. Harry Sighed. Why must it always be him? For an hour during breakfast, all Harry did was eat and look at his place. Conversation between himself and his friends was strained, and he didn't know what to do. Eventually getting tired of it all, Harry left, heading to his dormitory to pack.
At first, he wasn't followed, Ron and Hermione being to out of it with all that he had informed them about.
When he finally got there, he found the place he had slept in for the past four years to be completely empty. Odd. It didn't trouble him though, as he was now sure that he would have time to pack up his things in piece.
His packing didn't take long, and soon enough, it was all placed neatly in his trunk. Harry sighed once more. Ron and Hermione finally got over their emotional duress, and joined him there. Soon enough, they went outside and began to fool around, unsure of when the next time such a thing would be possible.
Of all people to track them down though, Fudge was the one to do it. He merely wished to bequeath Harry with his winnings, albeit grudgingly. Harry did not appreciate the money, and so left Ron and Hermione in sour spirits.
He dropped it off with Fred and George after tracking them down and gave them strict instructions to make their dream a reality. He stated that he expected them to make sure that people found the time to laugh now that the whole bloody world seemed to have come crashing down. It was a hard sell though, as both twins were rather against any kind of charity. Only Harry's serious tone and seeming threat to throw the gold away should they not accept it cowed them into accepting. The only thing though was that Harry added a simple price to them getting the funds. They were to get Ron a pair of dress robes that looked nice.
When he had finally pawned off the gold, Harry left once more to be by himself.
He sat alone for quite a while, pondering what was going to happen to him. He found it odd that he didn't feel any joy at knowing he was finally not going to the Dursleys, something which he normally would have been eternally grateful for. He guessed that maybe the unknown of what awaited him with his newest caretaker made it seem all less important.
Ron and Hermione finally found him, roughly around 1:45. Harry had missed lunch and was quite fine with it, not really willing to face the student body any more.
"Harry, you can't just remain alone like this," Ron chided him, trying to comfort his friend.
"Yes I can. I've done it before, and I'll do it again," Harry retorted, tired of being babied.
Silence came between them, and Harry sighed. Turning his head away, he refused to look back at his friends.
Hermione got up and was ready to badger him more, when they were all suddenly interrupted by a strange growling noise. Ron, Hermione and Harry turned to face it, and found to their horror a large black Dog with multiple eyes, large sharp teeth that reeked of death staring at them.
"Grim!" Ron whimpered, unable to say anything else.
Harry wanted to argue that it couldn't be a Grim seeing as it had way to many eyes, but he was too focused on the creature to vocalize his point.
The Hellish Dog then scared them more as it began to bound straight towards them all. Harry didn't have time to react before he was struck by the large creature and tackled to the ground. Looking up, he came face to face with many of its eyes, which stared back at him in an odd way, as if they were judging him.
Ron, snapping out of his stupor, forced himself to take out his wand and point it at the Hound. Before he could cast a spell though, he was silenced by a stern and powerful voice.
"That's enough!" it echoed out, sounding oddly pleased despite the choice of words. The Hound immediately rose off of Harry and bounded back towards the voice.
Harry got up, and found that the voice belonged to the man/creature that had saved him the previous day. "Hello... um... Damascus," Harry greeted weakly, unsure of what to do in the presence of his enigmatic teacher/Caretaker.
"Summoner, it is good to see you again," Damascus responded joyfully.
In a movement that no one caught, he appeared before them all, leering over Harry. "Hmm... this won't do at all," he muttered as he inspected his new found student.
Harry gulped. "What won't do, sir?" he inquired, fear evident in his voice.
"You're malnourished child. Not something that attracts respect in most beings," was the response. "Oh well, nothing to do about it now, I'll just fix you up when I get you back to my home,"
This was of course where Hermione and Ron decided to barge in. "Not so fast mister!" Hermione declared hotly. "Where do you think you're taking Harry? Term has yet to completely end!"
Ah, yes, always a rule follower.
Damascus blinked, not used to the kind of talk he was receiving, before he chuckled openly at it. Hermione did not find this amusing apparently, for she began to turn red at the mockery being made of her. "What's so funny?" she demanded, forgetting who she was speaking to, putting her hands on her hips in the process.
"You are my dear," Was Damascus' simple reply before he returned his attention to Harry. "Are you packed?"
"Yes sir,"
"Good, we're leaving,"
A wave of his hand brought all of Harry's stuff to him, which stunned the three wizards. "W-what!?" Hermione and Ron exclaimed.
"Farewell friends of Summoner," Damascus stated with a smile as he placed a hand onto Harry's shoulder. Looking down at the boy, he then added. "Child, now may be the time for you to bid your own farewells,"
"Bye guys, it was fun while it lasted," Harry muttered, a small sad smile gracing his face as he knew he was not going to be seeing his friends for a while.
"Harry wait!"
"NO!" The two shouted without success as Harry, Damascus and the hound were pulled into a portal along with Harry's things.
AN: AND THAT'S CHAPTER ONE! Below is a list of things you should know.
first of all, 1. Imagine the creature as looking like Slender with a giant Creepy ass Grin on its face, like Truth from FMAB.
Now then, please leave a review with you thoughts, I am always glad to hear them.
Next: The Magickal soldier is the next story being updated, then it's a coin toss on what interests me the most.
Have fun reading!
Ciao!